Davis Cup Finals: Talks planned with stars absent as Belgium beats France in opener

Great Britain will not participate this week after losing to Japan 3-2 in the first qualifying round in February.

But Leon Smith’s side gave themselves a chance to reach next year’s season-ending event by beating Poland in an away elimination match in September.

Doubles specialists Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, who were recently ranked world number one at the end of the year, believe it is imperative that Britain prove they can challenge the elite in 2026.

Cash told BBC Sport: “We are an incredibly strong nation and sometimes we get a bit of hate because we have a major championship and the LTA is financially better off than a lot of the federations out there.”

“We have a lot of very good players, even below Davis Cup level, and I think with the level we have – in singles and doubles – [the Finals] It is where we deserve to be. But you have to earn it every year.”

The last time Britain won the Davis Cup was when the legend Andy Murray led it to glory in 2015, and it reached the semi-finals again in 2019 before reaching the quarter-finals in 2021 and 2023.

This year’s bid was hampered by the exclusion of British number one Jack Draper, who reached fourth in the world rankings earlier this season, from facing Japan.

“Injuries are a big part of it, so hopefully everyone can maintain their fitness and if some of the other players need to be called up, hopefully they can give their best performance,” Cash said.